DUSHANBE, June 18, Asia-Plus - China’s Main Civil Aviation Directorate deputy director general Yan Gotsin (phonetically spelled), heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Dushanbe on June 17 for a four-day visit.

According to the Chinese Embassy in Dushanbe, during their stay in Dushanbe, officials of China’s Main Civil Aviation Directorate will hold talks with Tajikistan’s Transport and Communications Minister Abdurahim Ashurov and State Air Company TajikAir Director General Hokimsho Tilloyev.

The sides will probably discuss the possibility of leasing China’s plane MA-60.

We will recall that China’s State Aircraft Industry Company has offered Tajikistan’s State Air Company TajikAir two MA-60s for leasing.  Tajik specialists say MA-60s could replace Russian type An-24s on the domestic flights and air routes from Dushanbe to Kabul and Bishkek.

According to information posted on CHINAdaily site, MA-60, a regional aircraft, is newly developed and manufactured by China''s Xi''an Aircraft Industry Company.  The company fully owns the Intellectual Property Right of the aircraft.  With 60 seats, the regional plane has been proved to be safe, economical and comfortable.  China hopes the new type of aircraft can find its place in the international market.  The price of the MA-60 stands only about two thirds of the aircraft of the same kind made by foreign manufactures.  And the direct operation cost is 10 to 20 % lower.  

Nematullo Sohibov, the head of main civil aviation directorate of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), noted that the main problem impeding the issue of leasing MA-60 is the fact that the Chinese aircraft does not have international certificate and cannot be used on international air routes. 

According to Sohibov, the Chinese delegation will also discuss with Tajik national air carrier officials the possibility of investing in modernization of airports in Tajikistan. 

The sides are also scheduled to consider issues related to bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and China in the field of civil aviation and a progress of implementation of the Tajik-Chinese government-to-government agreement on aerial communication between the two countries that was signed during President Rahmon’s visit to Beijing in January 2007.  

At present two air routes link Tajikistan to China: Dushanbe-Urumqi and Khujand-Urumqi.